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agglomerate

1.
/əˈɡlɑməˌreɪt/
form into one cluster
2.
/əˈglɒmərɪt/
a collection of objects laid on top of each other
IPA guide

Other forms: agglomerated; agglomerates; agglomerating

When things agglomerate, they gather together into a cluster or a group. In some states, people tend to agglomerate into cities, leaving rural areas sparsely populated.

You might come across the verb agglomerate in business news — moguls tend to agglomerate companies, collecting them under one controlling interest. You could also describe a website that agglomerates news items, gathering them all into one place. The Latin root word is agglomerare, "to wind or add onto a ball," from ad, "to," and glomerare, "ball of yarn."

Definitions of agglomerate (/əˈɡlɑməˌreɪt/)
  1. verb
    form into one cluster
    see moresee less
    type of:
    bunch, bunch up, bundle, clump, cluster
    gather or cause to gather into a cluster
Definitions of agglomerate (/əˈglɒmərɪt/)
  1. noun
    a collection of objects laid on top of each other
    synonyms: cumulation, cumulus, heap, mound, pile
    see moresee less
    types:
    compost heap, compost pile
    a heap of manure and vegetation and other organic residues that are decaying to become compost
    dunghill, midden, muckheap, muckhill
    a heap of dung or refuse
    scrapheap
    pile of discarded metal
    shock
    a pile of sheaves of grain set on end in a field to dry; stalks of Indian corn set up in a field
    slagheap
    pile of waste matter from coal mining etc
    stack
    an orderly pile
    funeral pyre, pyre
    wood heaped for burning a dead body as a funeral rite
    woodpile
    a pile or stack of wood to be used for fuel
    stockpile
    a storage pile accumulated for future use
    hayrick, haystack, rick
    a stack of hay
    type of:
    accumulation, aggregation, assemblage, collection
    several things grouped together or considered as a whole
  2. noun
    volcanic rock consisting of large fragments fused together
    see moresee less
    type of:
    volcanic rock
    extrusive igneous rock solidified near or on the surface of the Earth
  3. adjective
    clustered together but not coherent
    “an agglomerated flower head”
    collective
    forming a whole or aggregate
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘agglomerate'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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